The US paint and coatings industry includes more than 1,000 companies with combined annual sales of about $22 billion and is expected to grow over the coming years. Polymer latexes are one of the most advanced polymeric materials produced for applications in coatings and paints. A unique process for producing polymer latexes with various properties is emulsion polymerization (free radical polymerization), which involves emulsification of monomers (or monomer mixtures) and their further polymerization resulting in the formation of latex particles from high molecular-weight polymers stabilized by surfactants in aqueous medium. This process is waterborne and does not involve any toxic or flammable solvents. Latex paints are considered much more environmentally friendly than conventional solvent borne systems.
The prominent polymer latexes for applications in paints and coatings are made from petroleum-based acrylic polymers or their combination with methacrylic polymers. They possess excellent properties, such as high weathering resistance, gloss, elasticity, chemical resistance, etc., but have some disadvantages, including small residues of unreacted monomers (causes unpleasant odor), reduced ability to form films and high cost.
Waterborne polymer latexes represent a significant portion of the paints and coatings market. For example, 70% of architectural paints sold in the United States are classified as waterborne paints. The second largest market for waterborne latexes is coatings that are applied on cars. Based on a 2011 BCC Research market report, the global market for waterborne coatings was $70 billion in 2012 and is expected to grow to $110 billion by 2017.